Browsing Archive: November, 2017

Let me begin by saying that I believe that the popularization of science in general and physics in particular is a very good thing. The more educated a society becomes, the more it is able to function and advance. And in the internet age in which false information is able to spread so rapidly, it is more important than ever for trained, professional scientists such as myself to promote skepticism and rational thought, and to try to communicate what is accepted scientific fact from superstitio... Continue reading ...

Since mankind first looked up at the night sky, one of the biggest questions has been "Are we alone in the Universe?". Philosophers and theologians have debated this issue for centuries, while astronomers and astrobiologists continue to look for evidence and explore the data. When NASA sent probes to the edge of our solar system and beyond, they included information on our location in the galaxy and our culture in case other life forms one day discover them. Projects such as SETI have spent d... Continue reading ...

In my previous article I discussed the possibility that the Universe contains a strange type of star called a Planck star, which is prevented from collapsing due to the effects of quantum gravity. However they are not the only type of exotic star which may exist, and certainly not the only kind that can be searched for with modern telescopes.

Another interesting possibility that is being studied by the theoretical physics community is the dark star.

For most of us, our first experience with astronomy is looking up at the stars. Whether it is a prehistoric humanoid or a child living in a major metropolis, at some point we have all looked at the night sky and wondered at the distant point of light. As a result you would think that we know everything that there is to know about stars, but we do not.

Recently the theoretical physics community has started discussing a new type, called a Planck Star. At the moment it is a very theoretical and s... Continue reading ...